Comments on: How To Find The North Star And Why You’d Want To http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to Discover how to use your digital camera with our Digital Photography Tips. We are a community of photographers of all experience levels who come together to learn, share and grow in our understanding of photography. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:10:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andy Talbot http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122450 Andy Talbot Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:38:55 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122450 If you're like me and have a smart phone, I've installed the google skymaps app, simply hold it up to the sky and it will show you where polaris is. The hard bit is getting polaris to sit well within your composition. <a href="http://www.google.com/sky/skymap/" title="Google Sky Map" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/sky/skymap/</a> If you’re like me and have a smart phone, I’ve installed the google skymaps app, simply hold it up to the sky and it will show you where polaris is. The hard bit is getting polaris to sit well within your composition.
http://www.google.com/sky/skymap/

]]> By: kate http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122448 kate Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:33:35 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122448 That second image is insane. You'd never think that's how fast the stars move in 10 minutes although, to me at least, the moon moves very quickly. That second image is insane. You’d never think that’s how fast the stars move in 10 minutes although, to me at least, the moon moves very quickly.

]]> By: Max http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122398 Max Fri, 23 Jul 2010 04:22:52 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122398 In the southern hemisphere, we need to look south. Here is a startrail I shot recently - you can see the location it on the Flickr map. http://www.flickr.com/photos/marnix_dl/4792030013/in/set-72157624366065639/ In the southern hemisphere, we need to look south. Here is a startrail I shot recently – you can see the location it on the Flickr map.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marnix_dl/4792030013/in/set-72157624366065639/

]]> By: Kim Stevens http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122306 Kim Stevens Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:05:14 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122306 Nice article Peter :-) Just last week I had my first attempt at shooting star trails in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia), and blogged about it with a few easy tips for finding the South Pole Star - http://photokimbo.posterous.com/star-trails-over-lake-samsonvale Nice article Peter :-)

Just last week I had my first attempt at shooting star trails in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia), and blogged about it with a few easy tips for finding the South Pole Star – http://photokimbo.posterous.com/star-trails-over-lake-samsonvale

]]> By: Tyler http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122252 Tyler Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:49:32 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122252 Another concept to keep in mind is that of the "ecliptic". This is the imaginary line in the sky that follows the path of the moon and planets across the night sky. From what I have observed (purely anecdotal) I've noticed that the stars on opposite sides of the ecliptic rotate along a different arc. See the image below as an example: http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#1 Before I remembered the concept of the ecliptic I couldn't figure out why the stars rotated in opposite directions, until one night when I took this image of the moon rising. http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#2 After seeing this image I realized that the ecliptic is that point in the sky where the patterns diverge. The farther north I pointed my camera (towards Polaris) the less of the effect I saw of the ecliptic on the star rotations. http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#0 The three images above were all taken from my backyard but looking in different directions. I keep this concept of the ecliptic in mind when I want to do star trails and where I'll be pointing my camera for the evening. http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#12 Another concept to keep in mind is that of the “ecliptic”. This is the imaginary line in the sky that follows the path of the moon and planets across the night sky. From what I have observed (purely anecdotal) I’ve noticed that the stars on opposite sides of the ecliptic rotate along a different arc. See the image below as an example:

http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#1

Before I remembered the concept of the ecliptic I couldn’t figure out why the stars rotated in opposite directions, until one night when I took this image of the moon rising.

http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#2

After seeing this image I realized that the ecliptic is that point in the sky where the patterns diverge. The farther north I pointed my camera (towards Polaris) the less of the effect I saw of the ecliptic on the star rotations.

http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#0

The three images above were all taken from my backyard but looking in different directions. I keep this concept of the ecliptic in mind when I want to do star trails and where I’ll be pointing my camera for the evening.

http://web.me.com/tjdhulst/Pura_Vida_Photography/Albums/Pages/Starry_Nights.html#12

]]> By: Martinho http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122202 Martinho Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:34:29 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122202 http://www.google.com/sky/skymap/ maybe this aplication for pocket pc can resolve some orientation problems ;) I love photograph star trails and DPS articles! http://www.google.com/sky/skymap/

maybe this aplication for pocket pc can resolve some orientation problems ;)
I love photograph star trails and DPS articles!

]]> By: andricongirl http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122182 andricongirl Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:02:43 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122182 this web site shows the southern cross and best way to find the southern pole star , a good visual of what is said above http://www.southernskies.com.au/astronomy/cross.htm this web site shows the southern cross and best way to find the southern pole star , a good visual of what is said above
http://www.southernskies.com.au/astronomy/cross.htm

]]> By: Heidi http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122159 Heidi Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:31:31 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122159 Thanks Andy - I was having trouble picturing that in my head. Going to give this a whirl! : ) Thanks Andy – I was having trouble picturing that in my head. Going to give this a whirl! : )

]]> By: Andy MIlls http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122139 Andy MIlls Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:51:28 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122139 If you're like me and couldn't imagine the stars of the big dipper pointing to Polaris, you can see it in this image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Polaris_alpha_ursae_minoris.jpg If you’re like me and couldn’t imagine the stars of the big dipper pointing to Polaris, you can see it in this image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Polaris_alpha_ursae_minoris.jpg

]]> By: Shane http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-find-the-north-star-and-why-youd-want-to/comment-page-1#comment-122136 Shane Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:42:52 +0000 http://digital-photography-school.com/?p=16851#comment-122136 "Unless you are on the equator, you can only see one or the other (or very high up a mountain near the equator, like Mt. Kilimanjaro)." Not quite true. I live in Trinidad, 10 degrees north of the equator, I see the North Star fine, 10 degrees from the horizon, as well as the Southern Cross at the appropriate time of year. This should have said "close to the equator", like on the north side in the Tropical Zone. (On the Equator itself the North Star should sit on the horizon, and anywhere south of that it should be invisible.) On the other hand, that "cool circular effect" has less full circles in these parts. “Unless you are on the equator, you can only see one or the other (or very high up a mountain near the equator, like Mt. Kilimanjaro).”

Not quite true. I live in Trinidad, 10 degrees north of the equator, I see the North Star fine, 10 degrees from the horizon, as well as the Southern Cross at the appropriate time of year. This should have said “close to the equator”, like on the north side in the Tropical Zone. (On the Equator itself the North Star should sit on the horizon, and anywhere south of that it should be invisible.)

On the other hand, that “cool circular effect” has less full circles in these parts.

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